SAN JOSE — The Sharks are reportedly on the verge of making Evander Kane the highest-paid forward on the team for next season and well beyond.
Multiple outlets reported Tuesday that the Sharks were close to signing Kane, 26, to a seven-year contract that could be worth up to $49 million. Per the Associated Press, the deal — one of the richest in franchise history — is expected to finalized Wednesday.
The Sharks were 12-6-1 for the last 19 games of the regular season — securing a spot in the playoffs — after Kane was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 26. Kane had 14 points in 17 regular season games with the Sharks and in nine playoff games, had four goals and one assist. The Sharks advanced to the second round before it lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in six games.
As a condition of the Feb. 26 trade, the Sharks would owe the Sabres their first round draft choice in 2019 if they re-signed Kane. If they did not resign Kane, the pick would be a second-rounder. The first round pick the Sharks would owe the Sabres is lottery-protected, so it can be moved to 2020.
Sharks general manager Doug Wilson did not immediately return a message Tuesday night seeking comment. When asked about Kane on May 8, two days after the Sharks were eliminated from the playoffs, Wilson said he would soon sit down with Kane and his agent.
“I think he’s a difference-maker,” Wilson said. “He came in here and I talk about our leadership and our culture, I think he really appreciated that. We appreciated him. I think it was a good fit for him, it was a good fit for us.”
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